World No. 1 returns! This has generated a buzz in the golfing world as he sets his sights on claiming the Claret Jug at the Open Championship. Scottie Scheffler took a three-week hiatus from the greens, notably deciding to skip the Genesis Scottish Open. He explained his decision, stating, ‘I think going into major championships, especially the ones we know will be very challenging, it may be in my best interest not to play the week before.’
Despite a strong start to the 2024 season with a Masters win, Scottie Scheffler’s major championship performances haven’t been entirely smooth sailing. A turbulent outing at Valhalla was followed by a season-worst showing at Pinehurst with a T41. Now, Scheffler is about to face the year’s final major, The Open Championship, returning to Royal Troon. Will the Scottish Highlands pose a fresh challenge for Scheffler, especially considering his past record at golf’s oldest tournament?
Has the Open Championship treated Scottie Scheffler well in the past?
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The 12-time PGA Tour winner, Scottie Scheffler, made an impressive debut at the Open Championship in 2021, shooting a 7-under 273. However, it wasn’t enough to secure victory, which ultimately went to Collin Morikawa. After three rounds, he was behind Morikawa by just three strokes but the final round proved to be highly detrimental for Scheffler as he scored 71 over par in it, widening the gap by 5 more strokes.
USA Today via Reuters
February 3, 2024; Pebble Beach, California, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the third hole during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Although in his debut at the Open Championship, he was able to finish at T10, his subsequent two performances in 2022 and 2023 saw him finish outside the top 20. Once again, in 2022, the curse of a bad final round persisted. Scheffler scored under pars in the first three rounds (68-68-69) and 2-over 70 in the final round, scoring an overall of 9-under and finishing at T21. His last year’s performance was even worse, as he finished at T23 but this time the final round proved to be his best during the event. He finished at par (70-75-72-67).
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Even though Scheffler has yet to lift the Claret Jug. He already knows how it feels to be a major winner, with two Masters wins to his name. So what has Scheffler’s run at the other majors been like?
Has Scottie Scheffler’s track record in other majors?
Beginning with the major that has been the sweetest for Scheffler—the Masters Tournament. Although his initial two performances were not good for him (T19 in 2020 and T20 in 2021), since 2022 he has been performing well in the major. The world number one has won the Masters tournament two times, in 2022 and 2024, and he finished at T10 in 2023.
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Talking about his PGA Championship, except for his 2022 appearance, the rest have been marvelous. In the other four appearances, he has finished inside the top 10. Coming to the US Open, this was the first major he ever played. It was in 2019 but Scheffler missed the cut. The next year, he withdrew from the US Open as he tested positive for COVID but between 2021 and 2023, he finished inside the top 10.
With the records, it’s evident that the world number one has yet to show his dominance in the Open Championship. Is 2024 the year when his fans will witness him lift the claret jug?
